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The Holy Sojourn Chapter 10
Parmenen Húrin Almë My number, now three men and that we treasured, made north against the winds of winter unto the lands above Kyoni, where our number, our host, our flocks and belongings, horses and husbands and wives, made unto galleys to cross the waters of the Eastern sea. We knew not where to sail, merely to sail, so that the Seven would guide us true. I slept alone in my quarters, my disciples of the Sept slept together yet separate from me. Yet we were together, not just in spirit but something more. I knew now what was meant when those who witnessed from within had seen, and I knew that they, much like the Elves and the spirits above, were jealous of Men. Then before my eyes a vision came, though I did not stir. I heard a bell, soft like the tremors of awaking from a dream. Then, unto me, a stern hammer throb shook me. “Son of Darkness,” the voice spoke. “Why have you come?” I knew at once that Húrin spoke now to me, though I did not know from where. “I come with men hungry for knowledge and truth. We asked the Seven guide us. Have you brought us unto you?” And then the Lord of Judgment spoke, saying, “Son of the Seven, son of the Five, you sail now to me. Speak.” “I seek the Seven so that I may record their wisdom for the children of Man and those to come.” “You are wise, Son of Darkness, and for your wisdom you shall be blessed. What do you seek from the God of Judgment? “Impart to me your commandments, that I may bind myself to them and make better my soul, for Judgment comes to all and only the just may know the way.” He said nothing to me then, and his voice vanished from mine visage. I took unto me my disciples as we made landfall upon the island known as White Lilly Rock so that they may know of what I had seen. “Surely this is the land of Húrin,” Rohiil said, “for what other sign have we to go upon? Let us now turn to you, Dane, that we may know of what to do.” “You will construct nothing more than what is needed to sustain yourselves. If this truly be Húrin’s place of divinity, let us not defile it with trodden earth and soiled wastes. To each of you I say make a shelter, enough for two to rest within but no more, and unto these shelters those whom have sworn themselves to marital bonds be placed together. After these shelters have been made, we will construct a fire with which to keep ourselves fed and warm. Once these things are done, to Húrin we will venture.” “But what are we to use for shelter, if not to spoil the trees of Húrin’s isle?” Gareth then asked. I rested my hand upon Gareth and said, “Do not be so blind, friend; the Seven have provided us the means. Look now to the shore from whence we came. Do you not see boats? Do you not see sails and dried foods with which we will keep ourselves fed?” “Surely, then, we will have no means of returning to Falfir?” Gareth asked. “Hush,” Rohiil said, “and listen to the whispers of the Seven. If they have kept us close to them this far, why now would they abandon us? We must trust them as they too trust us. They will always provide, so long as our hands remain open. We must release these boats that our coffers be made empty for blessings anew. Come, let us tend to shelter.” My disciples made shelter and fire, though our encampment was soon beset by men of the island. They came with tidings and gifts offered in the name of their god, Vulric. We did not accept them but offered our own gifts in exchange, for we did not know this god and did not want its blessing. We wondered why Húrin would tolerate a deity upon His place, and wondered too if these men knew of Him. “I am Ilus, son of Ilum.” He bore his people upon his shoulders and was chieftain here. “We rule here in Vulric’s blessing that he may keep us strong. As custom we shall leave unto you one of our number that we may then take one of yours. Learn, now, of our ways.” Rohiil went among their number as we took upon us a woman named Quincrea. We learned of their ways, their god Vulcris, and divulged of our own Seven. She told us that Vulcris was a god strength and sacrifice, that those who gave for their god were strengthened by him. And the peoples of Vulcris so too did return with Rohiil upon light of the second day. Ilus stepped forward and said, “Know this now, sons of Seven, that should you be here upon this place upon light of tomorrow’s sun, we will have no choice but to destroy you, for Vulcris has defied your gods.” Rohiil spoke, saying, “Turn, then, Ilus. Become not that which harbors hate of change but know what is best for your sons and daughters. Go you and Vulcris your separate ways that golden-clad Ilus may make better lives for his people.” Ilus left then with his warning a promise. So too did the voice of Húrin now come to us that we may all hear Him. “See now what I have brought, for I know the heart of Vulcris. It has poisoned the soul of Ilus and his people that they may not see truth.” Before us was found a chest adorned with the seal of the Seven. Within lay resting arms and armor: one spear, one sword, one shield, and the armor of gods. “Rohiil,” Húrin spoke, “You must take upon you these tools of my will, for you will carry with you my Judgment.” So did Rohiil put upon him these articles: The spear shaft was of hickory, eight feet in length, the tip of hard wrought steel. The edge gleamed bright of silver like ice upon pines. The sword was 30 inches in length from each tip, the blade was 24 inches in length; black leather wrapped upon the heft capped by pommel and quillons of polished steel. The strong of the blade had a fuller one inch of width which followed down the course until the weak of the sword. The blade was wrought of white silver, no blemish on its face. Before the chappe upon the cross sat one single jewel; an amethyst adorned with no single face, perfectly round. The shield was oak and iron, four feet tall and two and one half feet across. Upon its face was clad the moon of white. The armor was made of lamellar leather dyed of black. Afore the leather was donned mail of steel chain links, concentric in strength and design. Upon his armor Rohiil did wear a tabard laces with white silver that it may gleam upon the light of sun or moon. “Go now,” Húrin said, “and prepare for Ilus.” Then fleet Rothill answered Him, saying, “What are we to do? Has he truly deserved the hand of Judgment, and who are we to give it to him?” “He has one chance afore you. Then he is Judged.” Then Rohiil left our camp to walk alone with his thoughts, for the whispers or ‘morrows sun brought agony to his heart. Upon the next morning Ilus did appear. Behind him strode his host, men and women of Vulcris who deemed us unworthy of their blasphemy. They rode upon horses and brought before us their insults of war. Only Rohiil stood before them, his armor and weapons made steeled against the throng of Vulcris. The gods were silent in this moment of Man. Rohiil shouted thusly, “Ilus. My god has given you but once chance; lay down your arms and your people will be spared. Rise against me and you will burn.” “Such do I declare my virtue and lineage; that I was born a son of Isles who knew not the ways of godly men of wayward shores. My blood is proud, by rage and honor it flows alone. You come before me, a feckless youth in his false idol’s armor, and declare me a neophyte?” Then Rohill spoke, saying, “The Gods have carried me unto you, Ilus, for your own sake. I am the cupbearer of Fumna in this hour, but should you refuse that which hath been laid before you, whether in spite of man or malice of gods or ignorance of truth, I will lay down the cup and bare the spear.” Ilus roared with the voice of waves, saying, “You say you bode no ill yet in the very same breath you would cut me down? Why do you stand thus before my host? To claim dominion? To lay us low and bring us unto chains of your doctrines? You are one against many. I answer not to words of divinity but to sons of power. It was I, Ilus, son of Ilum, who bore the journey to feed the thousand mares of White Lilly Rock to bare the foals of water-meadows. It was I, Ilus, son of Ilum, who wrought new growth from the terraces of the mountain before the storms. No man has been greater before me and where I walk no weakness grows.” “I would spare you defeat, Ilus, not for your own sake for you are surely without remorse. Rather, I would give you but this one last chance to forfeit your claims as sovereign of these lands that your people may remain unharmed. I come not in the name of mercy but by judgment’s hand; spare those your foolishness that would otherwise live on. What is the use of your pride when all else is before the void? What use is your title when kneeling before the sword?” “And of what use is your exchanging of paltry words like milk maidens who speak empty things and would befuddle the masses with ramblings and false accusations of their peers? We may stand here all the season, plundering each man’s ego til one of us fall foul of fatigue. Yet I have not a season, milk maid, so I will say but this; no words of yours will halt my trial of your prowess in war. Test rather my resolve with your spear, for I shall do naught else.” With those words Ilus pounced upon his prey and drove his spear against the shield of Rohiil. Ilus was great of size, a son begat of Ilum who was said to be born of stone mountains; the spear of Ilus was as the mast of galleys. The spear of Ilus severed through the face of Rohiil’s shield but only to catch within it, for Rohiil’s shield was blessed by Húrin. Thus Ilus had his spear penetrate all but one layer of Rohiil’s shield, as the backing was wrought in the white silver of the Gods, to which only they could bend. So then did Rohiil strike with his own spear wrought of hickory, iron and tipped with white silver. Though Rohill was neither great of size or strong of heart as was Ilus, his spear pushed through the shield of his opponent as a branch pierces the foam atop a still pond. The tip of Rohiil’s spear grazed against the armor of Ilus and cut into the leg; Ilus now felt pain and fear. He could not understand how so mean an adversary had defeated his defense and so dropped the shield to turn and gain footing anew. So too did Rohiil drop his spear which was now buried in the shield of Ilus; he drew his sword, as Ilus did before him, and made ready his attack. Again Ilus charged, his sword a gleaming blight against the white armor of Rohiil. He sought vengeance and so struck hard with fury, the rage of Vulric made pure and hot in Ilus. Rohiil found his footing and thrust the shield upon Ilus in earnest. Ilus made quick to bat the shield away, but not before Rohiil had appeared from around the safeguard. As Ilus pushed, so too did Rohiil strike, sending his sword clean through the arms of his opponent. Like sin they fell heavy on the dirt. Ilus staggered like a drunken sow, his soul bereaved at the loss of his honor and livelihood. Men and women of the people of Vulric tore at their breasts and faces in mourning as their champion bled. It was then that Vulric, spirit of the Lilly people and one of the witnesses from within the sundering of the Goth’s deep places, did appear before them. He had come of worry, as his champion was at the retreat and Rohiil was greater than he had seemed. Vulric descended before the attack and carried Ilus into the air. Then Rohiil spoke aloud with a voice of thunder, saying, “And with that you have doomed your people.” Rohiil grabbed hold of his sword and propped it against this arm. His fingers coiled along the quillons and his thumb rested before the chappe, the blade pointed along the angle of his elbow. He threw the weapon thus, and as unto a stroke of lightning it pierced the hearts of Ilus and Vulric together. They fell to the ground, their bodies pinned in profane sacrament. Then it was as a great bell within the sky had sounded, as the valley before the mountain became entrenched in the drones of beautiful verdict. Then Húrin spoke, his voice all around them, and the people of Vulric did cower, for they knew not what awaited them, and His voice sounded as a hammer in the deep places of the world. “Know this, Scum of Vulric, that were your champion of sound mind you would yet have been spared. He chose poorly; therefore, so have you. The hammer has fallen, and you have been Judged.” Then upon their number did Húrin descend. Upon his right arm was bore the sword of Dark Fury, whose name was as Righteousness and whose terror was as Death. Upon his left arm was bore the shield of Holy Honor that which unto all weapons was impervious. There then, upon the valley of White Lilly Rock before the gaze of the mountain, Húrin laid low all the lives of the forces of Vulric. Then too did Húrin grow in force as he gathered unto his aura the remainder of the peoples of Vulric where soon they perished. No man, no woman, no child born or seed unsown was left to fester. Their flesh was eaten by white fire and their bones burned to ash, strewn to the winds and cursed forever. The soldiers of Vulric fought as best they could, and despite their blessings under Vulric’s ways, they were as wheat before the scythe of Judgment. To this day, the spawn of Ilus or Vulric are naught, and never will be again, for they were removed from the universe and all things tangent, and their souls are lost to the Void. So says Húrin, God of Judgment, whom no Man nor Elf nor beast can sustain treachery against.